A20760:339
Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common…Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common…
Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common sins; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkenness, whoredom, and bribery. Wherein the greatness and odiousness of these vices is discovered; and the means and remedies, which may either preserve, or wean men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By John Downame Bachelor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods word.Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common sinnes; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkennesse, whoredome, and briberie. Wherein the greatnes and odiousnesse of these vices is discouered; and the meanes and remedies, which may either preserue, or weane men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By Iohn Dovvname Batcheler in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for William Welby, 1609
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
CHAP. XI. Of the spiritual punishments which God inflicteth upon fornicators.
CHAP. XI. Of the spirituall punishments which God inflicteth vpon fornicators.
And these are the temporal punishments which are inflicted upon fornicators,1 besides which the Lord imposeth upon them many spiritual judgements; as first he subjecteth them to his wrath and heavy displeasure, as the Apostle witnesseth, Ephes. 5.3.6. where he saith,2 that ⟨p. 168⟩for these sins of fornication, uncleanness, and such enormous crimes, cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience; and therefore it behooveth us to mortify these earthly lusts,3 as he exhorteth us, Col. 3.5.6, that we may not incur the heavy displeasure of our dread Lord and Sovereign; for if we fear to provoke against us the just wrath of an earthly prince, because in the light of his countenance is life, 4and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain; whereas contrariwise the fear of a king is like the roaring of a lion, and his wrath is as the messengers of death: then how much more should we avoid those sins, which provoke the heavy wrath of the king of kings, whose voice is like the dreadful thunder, and whose wrath causeth death eternal of soul and body? If we are loth to displease mortal men, from whom we receive worldly benefits, then how much more the everliving God, in whom we live, move, and have our being;